A 49-year-old man lost his life on Monday, August 24, after falling from a height at a building where he was working.

The tragic incident is not the only death in the workplace recorded this year. In the first six months alone, 19 cases of workers losing their lives have been recorded, with the vast majority linked to the construction sector.

Jusuf Azemi, chairman of the Independent Trade Union of the Private Sector, says that, based on developments so far, the current year could prove worse than 2025. According to him, exactly 19 cases have been recorded so far.

“Compared with the same period last year, in all likelihood, unfortunately, this year will be worse than last year. It is even more serious because, while in other countries in the West, and often even in Kosovo among workers in the public sector, these workers receive financial support from the place where they work, we still do not have that here and, in all likelihood, we will not have it. The exact figure is 19 this year so far,” Azemi declared.

Occupational safety expert Naim Bajraktari says employers bear the primary responsibility for these incidents.

“The question is what measures must be taken to stop these incidents from happening and who should take them. The employer must take all the necessary measures: train workers, provide them with equipment, create safe workplaces and assess the risks at the workplace,” Bajraktari said.

According to him, preventing such tragedies requires concrete measures, including training and appointing a competent person responsible for safety.

“These accidents can be prevented by taking measures, providing training and appointing a professional or, ultimately, an experienced person familiar with the daily tasks being carried out. That person must implement the measures and ensure the workers’ safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, during July, the Central Labour Inspectorate closed 16 worksites in several municipalities across Kosovo following violations identified in the area of occupational safety.

In 2025, 32 workers lost their lives in the workplace.

The post 19 workers have lost their lives through August – Azemi warns that 2026 could be worse than 2025 appeared first on Albeu.com.

The New KEK Trade Union has reacted following the death of a KEK worker, who lost his life today after coming into contact with electrical voltage while performing his duties.

According to a notice issued by KEK, the worker, identified by the initials A.A., was transporting and relocating 6 kV cables when he came into contact with electricity and suffered serious injuries.

According to the New KEK Trade Union, this is another incident that raises serious concerns about workplace safety. During 2026 alone, four KEK workers lost their lives in workplace accidents: Mixhen Sadiku, Milazim Binaku, Haxhi Gojnovci and Arbenit Ahmeti.

The union says that every tragic incident is followed by reactions from the management, the Board, the ministry and other institutions. In such cases, condolences are offered, measures are promised and explanations are requested, while attention focuses on workplace safety for a few days.

“Our question is direct: why do institutions react only after a tragedy occurs?” the statement says.

According to the union, risks are not being anticipated, and no system is being established to identify and eliminate them before they cause loss of life.

“The accident is allowed to happen, then we react, issue statements and, after some time, everything is forgotten until the next tragedy,” the New KEK Trade Union emphasizes.

The organization considers that the problem is not related only to technical safety, but also to the way KEK is managed and its workplace culture.

“Management based more on pressure, fear and punitive measures than on communication, motivation and respect for the worker can rightly be called repressive and demotivating management,” the statement says.

The union stresses that a worker engaged in dangerous conditions must feel safe saying, “This job is unsafe,” without fear of the consequences.

“The worker must be heard before an accident, not merely remembered after the tragedy has occurred,” the New KEK Trade Union emphasizes.

“Safety does not begin after an accident. It begins before one.

Management, the Board, the ministry and all responsible structures must move from reacting after an incident to preventing it beforehand.

Four lives lost in just one year should serve as a serious alarm for everyone.

Mixhen Sadiku, Milazim Binaku, Haxhi Gojnovci and Arbenit Ahmeti must not remain merely names in a condolence statement and then be forgotten.

The memory of them must be transformed into responsibility, concrete measures and a change in the way safety and workers are managed.

We no longer want reactions after tragedies.

We want action before the next life is lost,” the New KEK Trade Union says in its reaction.

The post New KEK Trade Union: Safety measures must not begin only after tragedies appeared first on Albeu.com.